


Captain Morgan

by pirateherokillian (Pirateherokillian)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, references to alcoholism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2020-12-29 07:23:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21135938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pirateherokillian/pseuds/pirateherokillian
Summary: Of all the rumors that spread through her small hometown of Storybrooke, hearing that resident bad boy Killian Jones has gotten himself a dog is one she finds hard to believe. Written for CSPupstravaganza.





	Captain Morgan

**Author's Note:**

> Shout out to Kristin ([xHookedonKillianx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/xHookedonKillianx/pseuds/xHookedonKillianx)) for being the encouraging voice keeping me motivated to get this done! Also, I tried my best to research this topic before I attempted to write, so hopefully I did the details justice.

Emma hears about Storybrooke’s apparent latest addition even before she ever lays eyes on them herself. Which really doesn’t surprise her all that much. Her hometown has always been rife with small town gossip and if there’s one topic they never tire of discussing over their morning usuals at Granny’s, it’s Storybrooke’s resident bad boy. 

What does surprise her is the information now being spread about said bad boy. Because of all the things she would expect Killian Jones to do, getting himself a dog is not one of them. Getting himself locked up at the sheriff’s station after yet another drunk and disorderly? Yes. Arguing loudly and angrily with his brother at all hours of the day, in varying locations, often leading to more time in a cell? Yes. Going weeks at a time without being seen or heard from because he’s holed himself up in his brother’s spare room? Yes. 

Taking on the responsibility of caring for another living creature when it’s been clear caring for himself hasn’t been a priority for some time? Absolutely not. 

So Emma figures, as she throws a few bills on Granny’s counter and picks up her coffee-to-go, that the latest less-than-hushed whispers are more rumor than fact, and that there’s some key detail missing somewhere. If there  _ is _ now a dog in Killian Jones’ life, it more than likely belongs to his brother or one of his adorable nieces. Certainly not him

It’s not until she bumps into the pair, quite literally, at the grocery store that she realizes  _ she’s  _ been wrong in assuming everyone around town has gotten it wrong. And yet so very right about them all somehow overlooking something  _ very _ important in the latest development in Killian Jones’ life. 

She’s just rounded the corner of the aisle when she collides hard with someone solid, sending the groceries in her arms scattering to the floor. A hand latches onto her instantly to keep her from falling back on her ass, and among the commotion is the flurry of fur wedging its way between her legs and those of whoever she’s just slammed into. 

“Shit, I am so sorry!” She gasps and glances up to find wide, familiar blue eyes staring at her. “Jones.” 

He doesn’t seem to register what Emma’s just said and it’s as his fingers start to squeeze a death grip into her arm that she realizes Killian isn’t staring  _ at _ her, but through her. She tenses up. This isn’t the first time she’s gotten the blank stare from him. She’s been on the receiving end of it enough times when having to try and drag his drunken ass into the station. 

“Jones…” She starts to warn in a soft tone, but is cut off from saying anything else as the mass lodged between them starts to whimper and then yips sharply. She looks down to see the dog she was so sure wasn’t his adjust itself so it’s facing Killian fully and gently press its nose up against the end of his left arm.

Emma watches, slightly amazed, as the dog alternates between pressing with its nose and softly licking at the same spot. After a few moments, she feels the pressure on her arm lessen and glances up to see Killian blinking owlishly, giving his head a slight shake. Recognition floods his gaze as he finally sees her standing before him. 

“Emma, I-” He stops suddenly as the whimpering continues and drops his attention down to the dog. His hand releases her arm completely and he steps back slightly so he can crouch down and rub at the dog’s ear. “I’m okay, Morgan. That’s a good girl.” He says softly, pressing his forehead against hers and chuckling lightly when she yips again and licks at his cheek. 

“Bloody hell,” Killian adds after a moment, looking around them at the stuff scattered on the floor. He stops scratching at Morgan’s head and reaches for one of the items before rising back to his feet. “Swan, I do apologize. I should know better than to text and walk.” He reaches out the box of Goldfish in his hand towards her with a tentative, almost hopeful smile.

Emma is so busy trying to wrap her head around the fact that this Killian standing before her is so starkly different from the Killian she has come to know the past few years that she doesn’t have a chance to consider what flies out of her mouth next. 

“So the dog thing is true!” She blurts as she takes her crackers back. And instantly regrets her tactlessness as she watches his smile tighten a bit and a shuttered look fall over his eyes. 

He reaches up to scratch behind his ear and shuffles his feet slightly. “Aye, the town criers are as accurate as ever.” He mumbles and frowns, attention once more dropping down to the dog. Emma’s gaze follows and she sees the dog has pressed herself up against Killian’s legs and is looking up at him imploringly. Killian reaches down to scratch at her head.

“Umm,” His uncertain tone has Emma lifting her eyes back towards his, but she finds he is nervously glancing around at the things still on the floor. “Do.. do you need some help with this stuff??” 

She can see the effort it takes him to ask the question and how tense and uncomfortable he’s becoming once again. Guilt begins to make her stomach churn and she clutches the box of Goldfish tightly to her chest, wishing desperately she had said something else. “No, it’s okay. I can manage.”

Killian gives a curt nod and starts to shuffle past her awkwardly, his dog staying between the two of them. “I apologize again, Swan. I- I hope you have a nice evening.” He mumbles before practically sprinting away from her, the dog at his side with every step. 

Emma stays glued to her spot as she watches him go, her mind racing with questions at almost the same speed as his retreat. 

\-----

“She’s a PTSD service dog.”

Emma glances up from where she’s been filling out a report at her desk to find Killian Jones standing in the doorway to her office. She figured she’d get the full story at some point, but certainly didn’t expect it to be from the man himself the very next morning. Especially not when she considers just how quickly he had tried to get away from her the night before.

She doesn’t realize she hasn’t replied to what he said until he gestures awkwardly at the dog sitting dutifully at his side, adding more in a nervous tone. 

“Morgan. She’s…” Killian shrugs. “Supposed to help me.”

“With PTSD?” Emma finally asks quietly, hoping her question doesn’t come off as too intrusive. 

Killian smiles, though there’s a tinge of melancholy to it. “With having a life again.” He chuckles and she can see tears starting to well up in his eyes. “One that isn’t all rum and anger and hatred. One where I don’t make people I admire hate me anymore than they already do. Where I can live with the fact that I’m a one-handed, dishonorably discharged loser who-”

A soft bark draws both of their attention down to Morgan, who has risen to her feet and is pawing gently at Killian’s thigh. Emma watches as he closes his eyes slowly and pulls in a deep breath through his nose before letting the air slowly out through his mouth, all the while using his good hand to pet at the top of Morgan’s head. 

“I’m sorry,” He mutters after he’s calmed back down. His blue eyes are sad, but clear, when they open back up to find Emma again. “I still find it hard to… talk about things.”

Shaking her head, Emma waved her hand slightly. “Killian, you don’t have to-”

“I want to.” Killian cut her off quickly, a firm nod of his head. “I want to…” He glances down briefly to Morgan, and then back up. “Make things right again. Like they used to be.. Before.” 

Before. It’s a single, simple word. But Emma hears all that’s left unsaid by him using it. Because before all the rum-induced drunken benders, before all the nights spent on opposite sides of a jail cell door, and days of ill-tempered outbursts, before a town full of gossips had eaten away at both of them and the Royal Navy had sent a man back home a mere shell of who he used to be, Emma Swan and Killian Jones had been friends. 

Best friends.

Could have been  _ more _ than best friends, perhaps. 

“Emma?”

His call to her is slightly scared and yet she can hear the unlying thread of hope in it, and it pulls her from going further down memory lane. It’s her turn to pull in a deep breath and let the air out slowly. 

“I want to too.” She finally says, nodding. “But it can’t be like before.” She sees the smile her initial words had started to bring to his face start to fade and she stands, making her way over to him. When she stops, Emma notices Morgan has pressed herself up against Killian’s legs again, between them as she had been the night before.

Smiling gently, Emma glances back up at Killian who is staring at her with wide eyes. This time, though, there is no doubt he’s looking right at her. 

She reaches up and places her hand on his cheek. “It think it’s gotta be something new.”

Killian smiles again, shy and endearing. “I’d like that.”  
  


**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on Tumblr at [pirateherokillian](http://pirateherokillian.tumblr.com), and on Twitter at [pirateherojones](http://twitter.com/pirateherojones).


End file.
